


Achromatic

by jcrycolr3wradc



Category: Death Note, Death Note & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Dont panic. Misa has a cameo and then leaves the fic, F/M, M/M, When you meet your soulmate you see in color
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-30
Updated: 2014-10-30
Packaged: 2018-02-23 06:16:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2537267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jcrycolr3wradc/pseuds/jcrycolr3wradc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Light has been told his whole life this meeting his soulmate would change the way he sees the world. Well that is true, but he’d much prefer if everything had just stayed black and white.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Achromatic

**Author's Note:**

> My knowledge of Japan/Japanese is approximately nothing. Thus there is no Japanese in this fic. There was no betaing! Beware!  
> I’m also warning for the...unique characterization of L in this fic.

 

From the time Light is in primary school and old enough to comprehend the idea of a younger sibling, sex and two people loving each other he begins to question his parents incessantly about how they met and what sex was and how did love even factor into it?

Soichiro explained it to him as far as he felt comfortable with, he and Sachiko had met in university, when she was a chemistry student and he was taking a course for crime studies. He’s known as soon as he saw her face and heard her name.

“Why?” Light asked somberly. His earnest gaze made Soichrio cough and look away. His son, (no doubt smart for his age) was so serious that made it easy to forget he was still a child and did not have the experience behind his intelligence.

“When you meet your soulmate something amazing happens, Light.” Sachiko sat on the other side of the couch, wrapping an arm around their son. Soichiro smiled gratefully at her. “The world is given color.” Light tilted his head to side, his bangs falling into his eyes.

“Color? Red and blue?” Light had read about colors in his books.

“Yes. When you see their face, colors bloom before your eyes like the cherry blossoms in the spring. Remember?” Soichrio asked.

Light nodded his head, still thinking hard about this idea. He looked up at his parents again, his face serious.

“What if I don’t like it?”

“What?” Sachiko sounded confused.

“What if I don’t like colors? Or my soulmate?” Light clarified.

Soichiro and Sachiko looked at each other. Soichiro couldn’t imagine his life without color now after more than ten years. He couldn’t even begin to answer that. The silence in the room went on longer and longer as they tried find an answer to a question neither of them had even thought of before.

Light looked expectantly at them.

“Oh!” Sachiko suddenly pressed a hand to her abdomen. “Light! The baby is kicking. Would you like to feel it?” Light nodded eagerly. Soichiro took the added distraction to quickly think of an answer. He placed a hand on his little boys head.

“Son, I’m sure that when you meet your soulmate, she will be perfect. You’ll love her, and the color she brings to your world.” He bent down and kissed Light’s crown.

“Okay.” Light seemed to take this as temporary answer. Soichiro had the feeling this was not the last conversation they would have to have about this.  

~~~

Light was confident after finding the Death Note that he did not need a soulmate.

The world was just fine in black and white with the occasional shade of gray thrown in. He did not need color, and in fact prefered it without.

He needed the pure white of paper beneath his fingers and the black of ink impressed upon it without it smearing. He needed the weight of a pen in his hand, and the power to change the world. He did not need or want, color or love.

Light would have all the affection and admiration when the world was free of evil and corruption. Innocence would flourish and with it the possibility that all would be peaceful and good. Taking the time to try and find his soulmate would be selfish to his flourishing new world.

“The truth is, I am L.”  The strange spidery man peered intently at him.

At first Light didn’t even realize anything had happened. The auditorium was dark and the man next to him was so pale that there was nothing to give the change away. It was only after Light managed to focus again that he realized that the speakers on stage look different. Light’s confusion lasted for only a moment, but just as quickly the realization set it.

Light is nothing if not dangerously clever.

Light manages to keep this second shock off his face as well, not to go running from the auditorium. He slides his eyes over to man crouched next to him. Ryuuzaki, L, is still staring absently at the stage.

_‘FUCK.’_

~~~

Light Yagami watches Misa board her train, stopping to blow a flirtatious kiss in his direction. Her lips are painted a bright red.

_After the To-Oh entrance ceremony Light had immediately done everything to find out as much about ‘Soulmates’ as he could. Stories differed but Light could safely conclude two things from the disgusting flowery language that described color and romance for the first time: One, you only needed to meet the person face to face, and they needed to introduce themselves by their first name. Two, the only way to reverse it was the death of one or both parties._

_However, some people reported that one party would see in color before the other._

_L had not given any indication that he had ever seen in color. But Light did not put it past him to simply lie outright if he saw color or not. There was no way to confirm. Much like there was no way to find the man’s name._

_The entire situation was frustrating enough for Light to grind his teeth, and wish he’d never set eyes on the pale, wispy detective._

_“Misa. Are you able to see colors now?” Light asked, maybe this was all a mistake. Maybe it was just a fluke, and his so called ‘soulmate’ was not L._

_“Of course not silly! We hardly know each other! My parents didn’t see in color until the day they married each other.” Misa says smiling into Light’s face. Her blue eyes dim momentarily as she studies his face. “W-why? Can you see color?”_

_“Of course not. I just wanted to make sure that you weren't mistaking me for your soulmate.” He says smoothly, one part relived and two parts infuriated._

_“Oh, but Light I’m so sure I am!” She whispers to him, her nails digging through his black sweater to mark his arms._

_Light doesn't have a response to that without giving the game up so instead he takes them both by surprise by placing a delicate kiss to her red lips. She gasped and presses up into him, her breath tasting of mint. Misa’s lips are very soft and conditioned, and her tongue is complacent as he deepens it._

_“Lighhhtttt! Mom says Misa needs to go home!” Sayu calls through the door. They break apart, Misa breathing like she’s just sprinted a mile and Light as unruffled as ever._

_“You should walk her to the train station, Light.” His mother suggests at the door and Misa squeals as she clutches to his arm._  

Light does not touch his lips out of any sentimental feeling. He finds her lipstick has rubbed off onto his lips and frowns slightly.

He absolutely does not even consider what it would be like to kiss someone not wearing lipstick.

~~~

Justice is all Light has ever wanted. Justice for all, for the innocent to live in peace, without fear and for the wicked to be punished for their crimes. His whole life, he has tried to live abiding to these desires and rules. However it feel like a continuous battle. He see injustice and inequality and the corrupt get away with their schemes constantly.

The more times he spends with L the more he sees that L struggles with the same. The World’s Greatest Detective has now spent over ten years solving every kind of case imaginable but still cannot prevent every crime, can not intimidate the criminals of the worlds to cease and desist.

This is difficult for Light to see at first. He considers most of L’s actions to be purely selfish, the attempts of a bored brain to alleviate the tedium of living among mere mortals. Then Light starts to examine L’s actions.

These are not the steps to simply stop boredom. If L was bored he would tease the game out longer. Chase Kira like a cat after a mouse and not like a hound on the hunt. L considers Kira to be a equal but not a toy for him to play with. Toys are tools and Kira has made his own agenda very clear.

_“This is something I can not forgive!”_

Light stops thinking of L as ‘World’s Greatest Detective’ and instead as an ally in the fight against these impossible odds.

Now If only L would see it the same way.      

~~~

On the one hand Light despises Kira. Not only for murdering on a scale that would make most dictators blush, but also for disrupting his own plans. He was all set for NPA after graduation. After being incarcerated and missing 50 consecutive days of university it seems his plan feels like it’s slipping from his grasp. _(However Light does not feel as upset by this as he thought he would. His father doesn’t even work for the NPA anymore. And he can always go back to university next semester.)_  

On the other, in the deepest part of his brain, Light can feel the part of him that can see the justice in the Kira killings. He can feel a rush of satisfaction from seeing the names of criminals who are finally facing what they deserve. He’s pleased to see that the innocent can live without fear. His sister will never have to worry about 2,067 sexual predators. His father will not have to put criminals away only to see them get off on technicalities. His mother will not have to worry about these 469 robbers. Misa saw the man who killed her family get what he deserved.

_(The most treacherous part of his heart that whispers ‘Maybe. Maybe you are Kira’ also whispers ‘Kira also ensured you met L’.)_

As Light stares at the red, orange, purple sunset over the city, he thinks that the voice might be right.

~~~

“Can Light-kun see colors yet?” L asked out of the blue one day. They are busy, diving deep into computer records of the Yatsuba groups phone calls and scheduling. It’s all depressingly tedious. None of these men seem to exist for anything besides their money, sex and cars.

Light is so thrown by the question he stops typing to just stare at L. L is crouched in chair, eating baklava and his luminous eyes are fixed squarely on Light.

“That’s a rather personal question don’t you think, Ryuuzaki?” He says evenly.

“Hmmm?” L tilts his head. “No, not particularly.”

“You just asked me if I’ve met my soulmate! My father hasn’t even asked me that!” Light snaps.

“I only asked if you can see color. I never asked about if you have a soulmate.” L points out.

Light scoff, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s preposterous, you can’t see color without meeting your soulmate.” L is still staring at him unblinkingly, his grey eyes reflecting the light blue of the monitors behind them.

“Why do you even want to know?” Light finally sighs after the awkward silence has stretched into being uncomfortable.

L finishes the baklava and Light stares at the sticky crumbs clinging stubbornly to pale skin.

‘ _Tch. So immature._ ’ Light thinks looking away.

“I was merely curious, Light-kun. From my experience, Light and Misa Misa do not act like soulmates.” L wiped at the crumbs with the heel of his hand.

Before the snappy retort of ‘How would you even know what soulmates act like?’ can leave Light’s lips, L speaks again.

“I can see colors.”

Light has no idea what to say to that and simply stares at L crouches over the keyboard and continues the investigation.

_‘...FUCK.’_

~~~

The rest of the investigation team has gone to bed at least six hours ago. Light hasn’t heard from Watari in at least an hour. He figures now is as safe it will ever be to ask.

“When?” The word sinks between them, bending the chain that links them together. L doesn’t even seem to break his concentration from the screen in front of him.

“The To-oh freshman entrance ceremony.”

“What?!” Light stands up so fast the chair he was sitting goes down with a crash. L doesn’t flinch. Light wants to grab him and slap him, or shake him, or ---- him. Anything to get a human-fucking-response from him!

“After we stood up and gave the address. Light-kun must remember.” L says in the same damn monotone. “After I told Light-kun I was L.”

Light’s breath is being yanked from him in short gasps. L must know! He must know everything! Everything has been game to him by now and Light’s control is slipping faster than he can process it. So he does the only thing he can to regain it.

Light whips the chair around so fast that L nearly loses his seating, but before he can talk or move Light’s mouth crashes down on his. It’s harsh, but neat. Light throws his whole force behind it, quickly snaking his tongue into L’s mouth, tracing nonsense into the top of the detectives soft palate. He can taste the honey from the desert earlier. His eyes don’t close.

Light gentles the kiss quickly, adrenaline bubbling through his veins, and making him hyper aware of his surrounding. He finally understands what his parents were referring to about color’s and soulmates. L hasn’t closed his eyes and neither has Light, both looking at each other as the kiss draws on. Light is hardly paying attention to the kiss, much more fascinated by  L’s eyes. They reflect everything in the room, and Light can see himself in them. A blush is climbing up from beneath his collar, and he can see the tips of L’s ears, buried under thick black hair, turning rosy.

They part gradually. L reaches up and touches his lips, for once looking rather dazed. Light is rather proud for putting that expression on his face.

“Oh.” L finally says. Light can’t quite catch the sound that sneaks out of his mouth.

“I was not aware Light. I’m sorry.”

“Not aware? It happened the day we met! We met face to face and exchanged names.”

Light’s tone is incredulous, and his stomach is clenched unnaturally.

He couldn’t have been wrong. Over the past months Light has grown used to the fact L is his soulmate. Not completely warm to it, but not as repulsed by the idea as he was at one point.

( _And if he’d woken to more than one awkward situation with L in bed next to him, smelling of burnt sugar and ink, well that was his secret to keep wasn’t it?_ )

“Watari gained color 6 hours after meeting his soulmate.” L said, tone unchanging but a defensive undercurrent bubbles underneath it.

“Did he have a concussion?” Light asked. L frowned slightly and tilted his head.

“I’ve never thought to ask.”

“Haven’t you ever done research into the theories behind it?” Light snaps.

“No.” the detective answers simply, his legs coming up closer to his body.

Light stepped over the chair and quickly pulled up a saved file from his own research. He’s been thinking that Kira might have a non-neurotypical symptom that manifests like the Soulmate effect, except with the ability to kill. He hasn’t discussed it with the rest of the investigation team yet.

Light read from his notes, carefully cited from confidential medical reports.“Studies have shown that concussions or other brain injuries can affect the phenomenon. A woman from Sweden who woke from a month long coma could no longer see colors despite her wife still living. A man who was in a train crash in Germany could suddenly see color again despite his fiance death the month before.”

Light could feel L slouched next to him at the computer. The chain hung silently between them.

“Oh.” L said again. Light could hear the undercurrent of emotion that colored his tone.

Sudden Light found himself pressed up against the desk as L kissed him, chastely.

“I owe Light-kun an apology then.” L muttered. Light tried to respond, but found his mouth otherwise occupied.

~~~

Light was amazed to find the next morning that L was still sleeping. In their months of forced cohabitation he had never seen L asleep.

The tinting from the windows prevented the sun from becoming too bright in the bedroom, and Light watched as it crept up the sheets and illuminated the pallid complexion of his companion. Sleep did nothing to lessen the dark marks under L’s eyes, but it did give an odd sense of peace to a man who usually the definition of kinetic energy.

Light stared at the bright red bit mark on L’s clavicle and the nail marks in his arms and realized that he might like color more than he originally thought.

~~~

L fell sideways out of his chair.

Light caught him.

As L closed his eyes, Light hardly noticed as the color seeped from the world.

After all, God did not need color. He needed black and white. Colors distracted from justice, and the purity of the new world.  

Color was nice. Light did not need it, or want it.  

**_(But if he missed it, then that was his secret, and no one need ever know.)_ **

**Author's Note:**

> I dont know if I will fill in the smutty gaps. I had real trouble with L in this fic, so this might be the only sojourn into this pairing/fandom.  
> Feedback is appreciated.


End file.
